


Saving Ventus

by Dramance



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Aqua vs Vanitas, Feels, Gen, Kingdom Hearts III Rewrite, Kingdom Hearts III Spoilers, Memories, Saving Ventus, Sora saves Ventus, kingdom hearts - Freeform, power of waking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-31
Updated: 2019-12-31
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:08:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,664
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22044625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dramance/pseuds/Dramance
Summary: Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Aqua have traveled to the now restored Land of Departure to wake up Ventus. However, their rescue party is crashed by Vanitas. In order to prove her strength to Sora and to prevent Vanitas from hurting Ventus, Aqua seals herself and Vanitas within a barrier.Sora desperately tries to help, only to make things worse and nearly leads to Aqua's demise. Sora begins to crumble under his guilt and inability to help his friends. Can a slumbering soul help Sora regain his lost confidence?~Rewrite of the Saving Ventus Scene from Kingdom Hearts III~
Relationships: Aqua & Sora (Kingdom Hearts), Sora & Vanitas (Kingdom Hearts), Sora & Ventus (Kingdom Hearts)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 39





	Saving Ventus

**Author's Note:**

> I liked the Saving Ventus scene from Kingdom Hearts III, however I felt it could've had some more emotion to it, especially on Sora's end. So, I decided to rewrite the scene.  
> Here, Sora has stronger reactions to the Aqua vs Vanitas fight, and has a stronger regret to not being able to obtain the Power of Waking. I added a bit of reflection to Sora to try and justify why he was never able to use the Power of Waking before and why he would suddenly know how to use it on Ventus when asked (as I felt that was majorly skipped over in the original).  
> NOTE: This is my own interpretation of the scene! I do not think that my interpretation is better or worse than the canon or that I could've written it better, this is just me expressing my creative spin on the moment. If you like how I wrote it, awesome! If you don't, that's cool, too.

I stared with wide-eyes as Aqua took a ready position in the center of the arena, her keyblade glinting off the faint rays of sunlight that poured through the window. In front of her, Vanitas stood conceitedly, with a hand on his hip and his keyblade swung over his shoulder. My keyblade clanged against the floor and disappeared as the barrier reached its maximum width. I pounded my fists against it, ignoring the pain that came with each hit. I wasn’t sure if I expected something to happen from my efforts, but I didn’t care. Aqua was in there, facing Vanitas alone and I was forced to stand on the sidelines to watch.

“Aqua!” I called, but she didn’t turn her head. Time went to a standstill as the two silently faced each other. I could hear my heartbeat ringing in my ears. My breath caught in my throat as Aqua lunged forward. With her keyblade raised high, Aqua raced towards Vanitas and struck him. A loud clang resonated throughout the hall as her keyblade met Vanitas’s. His posture barely changed. Vanitas snickered as Aqua grunted against the block. I winced as she faltered slightly.

I have to do something. I couldn’t just stand here and watch. I should be in there helping her! I pounded the barrier harder and groaned as a sharp pain shot up my arm. I pulled back and held my hands tightly, wincing at the bruises forming under my skin. I shut my eyes.

“Sora! Don’t do that!” Donald scolded, stomping his webbed foot.

“What do you expect me to do?! We have to do something!” I countered.

“You heard Aqua. She wanted to face Vanitas alone, and we can’t have you hurtin’ yourself, now. You still need to wake up Ventus after Aqua defeats Vanitas,” Goofy added.

His name again.

I looked beyond the fight, past the edge of the barrier on the opposite side of where we stood. There, in a tall chair, sat a blonde-haired boy, sleeping soundly and unbothered by the fight that took place mere feet from where he slept. Ventus’s breathing was peaceful and his body rocked gently with every breath. He’d been there, asleep in that same spot for over ten years; safe and sound from anyone who would’ve ventured here, to the now restored Land of Departure.

Years ago, Aqua placed Ventus here to keep him safe because his heart was lost. She vowed that she would come back to wake him up and then locked the castle, turning it into Castle Oblivion—a place where anyone who ventured there would be lost. Aqua would’ve come back much sooner to save her friend, but she was lost to the Realm of Darkness, where she wandered aimlessly for years. Now that Riku and I found her, she, Donald, Goofy, and I traveled back here to wake up Ventus. But Vanitas crashed our rescue before we could do that.

“Farewell!” Aqua cried out, bringing me back to the fight. Vanitas groaned as he was thrown backward, but he was back on his feet in seconds. I scowled at Vanitas as he attacked and jeered Aqua; she ignored his comments and continued to fight. I watched her, because I couldn’t do anything else, even if I wanted to. She cut Donald, Goofy, and I off from the fight with a giant barrier. She wanted to prove to us that she wasn’t weak; that she could protect Ventus. I knew she was a Keyblade Master, but she couldn’t be throwing herself into a strenuous fight so quickly after she escaped the Realm of Darkness. Every blow and strike the two sent towards each other, whether they connected or not, made my muscles tense and my heart beat faster. I didn’t want anything to happen to her after the dangers she had to encounter for so long and on her own. I wasn’t going to let anything happen to her!

I tried to read Vanitas’s moves to predict where he would end up next, but I couldn’t. He was elusive and mysterious, like his face, masked by his dark helmet. I don’t need to see an opponent’s face to understand how they attack; I fought plenty of the old Organization members before I ever saw their faces. I didn’t understand why Vanitas was different. He sauntered around Aqua and dodged her attacks with a laugh. He threw her back with a swing and Aqua skidded to a stop. She stood up straight and readied her keyblade, but when she lifted her eyes he wasn’t there. She looked around frantically to find him, and in her distraction, she was thrown back by a gust of flames erupting from the floor.

“No!” I screamed. She landed on her back with a hard thump and gasped heavily, her breaths escaping in short, uneven pants. She made her way to her feet again, trying to look composed; she was shaking. I gritted my teeth. “Aqua, are you ok?”

She took in several deep breaths before answering. “I’m fine.”

I furrowed my eyebrows, my fingers straining against the barrier. “Aqua, please—”

“I said I’m fine, Sora,” she snapped, her back facing me. She swung her keyblade into a defensive position. “I can do this.”

Vanitas’s laughter echoed throughout the room, bouncing off the aged stone that surrounded us. A strong shudder crawled up my spine and I tensed my muscles. “You’re struggling there, _Master_. Venty Wenty needs his bodyguard, and if this is the best you can offer, then this will be over way too quickly for my taste.” He sauntered around the arena, his keyblade swung over his shoulder. Anger boiled in my gut, and I clenched my fists. “It’s no fun for me if this is too easy. Why don’t you raise the difficulty and put up a real fight, _Master_?” he sneered.

Aqua charged forward. “Thunder!” she screamed, leaping forward and calling down a powerful string of lighting. Vanitas tried to dodge the attack but was caught and flung into the air. Aqua lunged upwards and caught him in an aerial combo. “Farewell!” she called, arcs of light circling her body and smacking Vanitas to the ground. The sound of the impact caused me to smirk; I hope she cracked his helmet.

Vanitas regained his composure and went to strike her. She cartwheeled away, his attacks missing by inches. Vanitas growled and charged into the ground, lava bubbling where he disappeared. I opened my mouth to warn Aqua, but this time she was ready. She waited as the lava pool approached, then dodged as Vanitas popped out underneath her. He sent fireballs spinning in every direction around him, and Aqua dodged between them. Some of the fireballs crashed into the barrier where I was standing with Donald and Goofy, startling us.

Vanitas tried his attack again and Aqua dodged once more. He growled as he landed, but before he could dodge underground, Aqua struck him with a blizzard attack to the head. That didn’t stun him for long. He quickly regained himself and dark fire swirled around him. I narrowed my eyes, trying to understand, but then he disappeared. He reappeared above Aqua, smashing down his keyblade and his dark fire on top of her. She screamed and flew backwards, landing on her shoulder and rolling away. She grunted as she pulled herself up with her keyblade, ready for his next attack, but he was gone again.

I saw the ground turn to lava beneath Aqua’s feet. “Aqua, look out!”

She looked below her and gasped but managed to dodge Vanitas’s flurry of fire as he erupted from the ground. The fireballs crashed down on the barrier near us again and I flinched. I turned my attention back to the fight, but the barrier was now harder to see through. I raised an eyebrow and ran my fingers along the surface; it was now bumpy and fractured when before it was smooth. I looked around the inflicted area. The cracks split all around like spiderwebs, making the barrier harder to see through. My eyes widened.

Vanitas’s fire attacks had permanently damaged the barrier.

“Aqua—!” I called, but I stopped myself. I didn’t know what I could say to warn her without tipping off Vanitas. Aqua turned her head to look at me, and she yelped as Vanitas struck her again. She rolled away and crawled to her feet. “No!” I cried.

Vanitas looked at me. I couldn’t see his face, but I could tell our eyes met. My eyebrows furrowed, my heart pounded in my chest, and a bead of sweat trickled down my neck. Vanitas stared at me for a while, his vacant gaze keeping mine locked onto him. He turned and looked at Aqua, still struggling to get up, to Ventus, sleeping soundly, and then returned to my gaze. My breath caught in my throat when our eyes met again, and then he laughed, much louder and more exuberant than before.

I don’t know if it was the acoustics of the room or the adrenaline that coursed through my veins, but I felt another shudder crawl up my spine. His laugh wasn’t like the way the previous Organization members laughed: hallow and emotionless, forced, and devoid of anything. No, hearing Vanitas laugh was different. It wasn’t hallowed or unnatural, but quite the opposite. His laughter was full of emotion, and that’s what made it disturbing. He was laughing, not because he felt he should, the way the Organization members would, but because seeing others in pain _amused_ him. Seeing Aqua struggle, seeing Ventus vulnerable, and seeing me powerless was all _amusing_ to him!

“Well, now, isn’t that interesting?” Vanitas turned to Aqua, who was now on her feet, her keyblade shaking in her hand. “Looks like you’re not as strong as you think, _Master_.” He turned away from her and faced Ventus. Vanitas cackled as he raised his keyblade and swung it, releasing a fireball towards him. The magic attack crashed against the barrier, but when the smoke cleared the barrier was badly fractured like glass. No! I opened my mouth to warn Aqua again, but she was running towards the spot where Vanitas struck. Vanitas raised his keyblade and swung another fire blast at the barrier.

“Blizzard!” A spiral of ice shot from her keyblade and hit the attack before it struck the barrier. But Vanitas was ready and swung his keyblade with another fire blast prepared, this time at Aqua. “Barri—” the fire hit her and sent her rolling backwards until she stopped on her back. I held my breath, waiting for her to get up and continue the fight. She didn’t move. Her keyblade disappeared.

Vanitas chuckled and made his way over to her. She groaned, her breathing heavily labored and her eyes closed. She made no move to get up or defend herself, and I knew Vanitas could see it, too. He raised his keyblade up and pointed the tip over her chest.

I gasped. “No! Aqua!” I pounded the weak spot on the barrier, desperate for it to break and let me through to help her. I summoned my keyblade and wacked it as hard as I could, wincing as each loud strike grated my ears and strained my muscles. But no matter how hard I hit it, nothing worked. How could I have let this happen? If I hadn’t distracted Aqua, Vanitas never would’ve noticed that he was damaging the barrier. Why did I do that? Was I that stupid? Why couldn’t I have done something more? “Aqua!” I screamed, desperately pounding the barrier. Why won’t it break?! My heart was pounding, but it had become a numbing thrum in my chest as I swung my keyblade wildly. I heard Goofy and Donald trying to get me to stop. I droned them out. I didn’t care. I had to help her! As many hits as it would take, I _will_ break this thing!

Vanitas’s laughter shook me from my rage. I looked up to see him facing me again. “You _are_ pathetic. I don’t even know why I considered you a threat. Can’t even break a simple spell to help the _Master_ here, you insignificant speck!”

“Stop it!” I screamed so loud my throat burned. I may be on the other side of the barrier, but his words cut through me. I felt trapped, like when he cornered me in Monstropolis. I couldn’t do anything to stop him when he nearly took my heart to get to Ventus. Fear had consumed me, and if it wasn’t for Mike and Sully, I probably wouldn’t be here. I couldn’t do anything! Now, here I was again, helpless to stop him, and no one could help me this time.

_“Vanitas!”_

I gasped. That wasn’t my voice, but the word had come out of my mouth. I could feel my heartbeat again, but it felt different this time. It thumped hard and painfully in my chest, sending a shock through my body. Something was different. My muscles tensed, and I staggered backwards. My grasp on my keyblade slipped.

The world turned white.

* * *

When the light cleared, I wasn’t in the Land of Departure anymore. I was falling slowly and surrounded by darkness, but not the kind of darkness where the Heartless resided. It was comforting…and familiar, too. I turned my head upward and saw it, a bright light that pierced through the darkness. A safe place that resided deep within me. The place where I battled Roxas, and where I had that first weird dream back on the Destiny Islands forever ago.

My heart.

The stained glass shone vibrantly, the colors reflecting off the smooth surface. Me with the keyblade in hand. My best friends Donald, Goofy, Riku, and Kairi all safe by my side, watching over me just like I do for them. I descended and softly touched down onto the surface of the glass, careful not to fall over as I stood up. It had been a while since I was here last, not since the Mark of Mastery exam. I was content here, but it’s not where I wanted to be. I had to get back to Aqua. I looked around to find a way back, but I didn’t see anyone or anything nearby. No door or guiding light, not even a pathway. Though, I guess I didn’t exactly know what to expect whenever I ended up here. What was I even doing here? I called out into the darkness, but nothing answered. My heart thumped hard against my chest again.

“I…have to wake up…” a voice murmured through the silence, gentle and beckoning. The speaker was hidden from my view, but even without a face to the name, I knew who it was.

“Ventus?” I asked.

“Yes…Sora, please…you have to help me…I need to help her,” he begged.

“Yes. Tell me what to do,” I said, determination flaring in my chest.

“The power of waking…” he murmured.

My chest tightened. I sighed and closed my eyes, turning my head away. “I-I can’t. I don’t have it yet,” I spoke sadly. My entire journey until this point was to learn the power of waking—the power to wake a sleeping heart—while traveling and helping various worlds. I had failed to learn it when Master Yen Sid gave me my Mark of Mastery exam not too long ago. Xehanort hijacked my exam, and I had nearly let myself fall to darkness; and if it wasn’t for Riku I would’ve. When Master Yen Sid sent me out on this journey, I was determined to learn it this time, but I hadn’t found anything. No matter who I helped or where I went, I never came across it. My cheeks burned, ashamed that I had gained so much strength, come this far, and was no closer to my goal. “I’m sorry. I don’t know how to help you.”

“You know more than you realize…trust me,” he reassured.

I shook my head. “I don’t feel that way. Everyone trusted me to be able to find this power, but…I failed.” I sank to the floor and hugged my knees to my chest. “How could I have failed so miserably again? You and Aqua and Roxas…you were all counting on me to help you, but I can’t do anything for any of you. I’m sorry, Ventus…I wish I was better.” I buried my burning face into my knees, shutting my eyes tight.

My heart thumped again. “But you haven’t failed…you’ve helped so many people.” A warm feeling enveloped my body and I lifted my head slightly. Memories flashed by all around me, no more than mere glimpses, but I could picture them perfectly.

Hercules stood proud at the entrance to Mount Olympus, the golden light of immortality radiating from his body. His hand was outstretched towards Meg, beckoning her to stand with him; and when she did, the light faded away from Hercules, making him mortal.

The memory shifted to an inky plane, where Woody bravely lassoed Buzz and pulled his strained heart back from Xehanort’s clutches. Buzz was ashamed of his actions and lost without Andy, but a reassuring smile from Woody reignited his determination to stand by his side, no matter how far they were from their kid.

The memory shifted again, and Rapunzel cradled a dying Eugene, tears streaming down her face as she tried to preserve his last breaths. Her tears landed on his face and healed his fatal wound, resurrecting him and returning him to her side.

Mike and Sully protected Boo from the Unversed with Donald, Goofy, and me by their side. We all made her laugh and kept her out of harm’s way, no matter what Randal threw at us.

Anna jumped in front of Elsa, and her body froze as she took the blow from a sword. Elsa cried over her sister’s sacrifice, but Anna’s body then melted from the love the two shared with each other.

Elizabeth and Will faced a steep price: Will must sail the Flying Dutchman alone for years while she stayed behind. But they knew their hearts would stay connected, no matter how far apart they were.

Hiro faced Baymax, corrupted by darkness. He held the chip that made corrupted his friend, the very thing that made Baymax who he was, and destroyed it. But he knew his sacrifice would lead to a better future for himself, his friends, and San Fransokyo.

I smiled at each memory, comforted by the friends I had made across so many worlds throughout my journey. I had touched so many hearts, but I was still unsuccessful to learn the power of waking from any of my adventures. I sighed again and turned away.

Another memory caught my eyes and I looked up again. Riku was there, trapped in the Realm of Darkness as he faced a corrupted Aqua. He was trembling, weakened from all the fighting he had to endure, but he kept his head held high. My breath caught when he whispered my name. He was calling for me, and I had heard it because I was calling for him, too. That’s how I had made it to the Realm of Darkness, bursting from the sky and landing at his side. I saved him from Aqua and battled her until the darkness let her go. Then, I reached out and pulled her back to the Realm of Light.

All these friends, all these memories…they all called to me in a similar way, each one making my heart glow. Each world I visited had called to me, and even though I didn’t know why, I followed my heart there. I met some amazing friends and caught up with others. They had faced their struggles and greatest fears, yet they came out closer to each other than ever before. And I had stood by all of them every step of the way. Was all of this…because of me?

“You are the reason all of these people succeeded…why they were all saved.”

I stood up and watched as the memories spiraled around me before scattering into small orbs of light. I turned my palms up and watched as they fluttered down. I smiled as they brushed my fingertips. I brought my hands to my heart and closed my eyes. Ventus was right, I did help them. He was by my side the entire time, watching as I connected with their hearts, just like I had done with him. I helped them reach out to their loved ones when they needed it most, and they taught me that, too.

“You never lost the power of waking…it sleeps…until someone needs it…Call to it.”

I breathed deeply and dug deep inside myself, trying to find the boy sleeping within my heart. I could feel him, but it was faint. He has been with me so long that he was a part of me, but I was determined to find him. I was determined to bring him back to his friends. I shut my eyes tighter and clenched my fists above my heart, reaching as far down as I could.

Walls of a castle surrounded me, and I saw two people dueling. I recognized Aqua from her blue hair and silky clothes, but her opponent was unfamiliar. An older boy with brown hair battled her, putting his all into their fight. They lunged and parried and blocked, the two completely entranced by their duel. When they finished, another boy with blonde hair ran up and hugged them, laughing and congratulating them on their skills. My breath caught in my throat: this was a memory of Aqua and Terra from Ventus’s point of view. Ventus walked with them down the hallway to watch the stars outside the castle, but he stopped before he walked out the door. He watched as Terra and Aqua walked further and further away from him, and the memory began to blur.

“I am calling…” I told him, “with all my heart…”

Ventus turned around and smiled before the memory faded away.

I opened my eyes, back on top of the stained glass with a new fire of resolve burning within me. I summoned my keyblade, held it in front of me, and summoned a burst of light from the tip. White lines formed on the glass underneath my blade, taking the shape of a keyhole that burst with light. I gripped the handle of my keyblade tighter, calling to the light as it illuminated the entire surface of my heart. My body then became weightless and I drifted upwards as the surface of my heart faded. The light shining from the keyhole expanded and covered the entire surface of the glass, transforming my picture into another: one of Ventus. My heart had protected him while he slept. When I was high enough, I clenched my fists and readied my keyblade, swinging it down and calling a beam of light that struck Ventus’s chest on the glass. It glowed, awakening.

“Thank you for always keeping me safe, Sora…” Ventus whispered. I smiled softly and watched as an orb of light emerged from the glass and flew upward, disappearing with a flash into the darkness.

* * *

I moaned lightly and opened my heavy eyes. I was on the floor with Donald and Goofy standing over me, shaking my shoulders and calling to me. Their eyes brightened when they saw that I had opened my eyes and they helped me sit up. I panted heavily and held my head, which throbbed with my pulse. Donald and Goofy were talking over each other, asking if I was ok and why I fell over. I wanted to answer them, but I remembered Aqua was still inside the barrier.

I scrambled to my feet and gasped when I saw that she was still on her back with Vanitas standing over her, his keyblade aimed to stab her through the chest. I summoned my keyblade and prepared to strike the barrier again, but a bright light blinded me. I shielded my eyes and a loud explosion resonated through the hall, followed by the sound of glass shattering and crashing to the floor.

“Aqua!” a voice called. Blades clashed against one another and I looked up. The barrier was gone, the remains of it scattering into light as it landed on the floor. Vanitas was staggering backwards trying to regain his balance. Aqua was still on the floor, groaning and trying to catch her breath.

In front of her stood Ventus, his black keyblade ready to strike Vanitas should he dare venture closer.

I stood and stared with astonishment. I…I did it. I woke him up. Ventus was awake! He was right…I never lost it. I shook my head. I could congratulate myself later; we’re not done yet. I gripped my keyblade and charged forward, Donald and Goofy right behind me with their weapons drawn. Vanitas was focused on Ventus, but I saw his head turn slightly to look behind him. He leapt over us when he saw us running.

He landed gracefully and slowly rose to his feet. “Three guardians is more than I care to face,” he sneered. “But now that my brother is awake, I’m certain that he’ll come to visit…” He cackled as a dark portal formed around him, engulfing his body until he disappeared.

I let my keyblade disappear as I stared at the spot where Vanitas did. I scowled, unsure what to think. He may be gone now, but we would have to face him again soon. I wasn’t looking forward to it, but I’m glad he left Aqua and Ventus alone. I turned to face them and saw Ventus helping Aqua to her feet.

I walked towards them with Donald and Goofy in tow. “Aqua, are you alright?” I asked.

She smiled softly. “Yes, I’m fine, Sora.”

I smiled back at her, but then looked away. “I’m sorry I distracted you…if it wasn’t for me, you wouldn’t have been hurt.” I sighed but managed to meet her eyes. She was still smiling at me.

She shook her head. “I’m sorry, too. I know you wanted to help. But, perhaps next time you should consider a better way to warn me.” She giggled.

I chuckled, my cheeks flaring a little, and I scratched the back of my neck. “Yeah, that’s fair.”

“That’s Sora, all right,” Donald teased.

“Always lookin’ to help,” Goofy added.

I laughed and lightly punched their shoulders before turning to face Ventus. I studied him better now that he was awake. He reminded me a lot of Roxas. They both had sky blue eyes and styled blonde hair, and when I recalled how I woke him, Ventus even sounded like Roxas, too. It was almost uncanny, but I guess Ventus being in my heart must’ve influenced the way Roxas looked when he was created. Guilt gripped my chest thinking about Roxas, but I shook my head. I’ll save him soon, just like how I saved Ventus.

Ventus stared at me with wide eyes. “Huh?! You’re…Sora?” He sounded puzzled.

I was taken aback by his surprise but brushed it aside and nodded, smiling warmly. “Yep. Hey, Ventus.” I walked closer and extended my hand to him.

He stared at me blankly and then down at my hand. “I get it,” he whispered. “You were my second chance.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Huh?”

He shook his head and smiled at me, then he took my hand and shook it. “Call me Ven.” He chuckled. I smiled back and nodded in return. We let go of each other and Aqua approached Ven, ruffling his messy blonde hair. Surprised, he gasped and looked at her.

She smiled brightly. “Good morning, Ven.”

Ven returned her smile with one just as bright. “Good morning, Aqua.”

**Author's Note:**

> If you made it to the end, thank you for reading! I actually wrote this months ago as writing practice, so I'm unsure with how good or bad it came out. Feel free to leave a criticism below with what you think.


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